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Chapter 524 Not in vain

“Since His Majesty is unwell, you shouldn’t go and upset him.” Lu Qing waved his hand. “I’m perfectly fine staying here. The food is good and the accommodations are comfortable.”

"Don't joke with me! It's a miracle if this place is comfortable!" Lu Ze frowned, glancing disdainfully at the cell behind Lu Qing, clearly disgusted by the environment.
Lu Qing smiled and did not refute it. Then, as if he had suddenly thought of something, he asked Lu Ze, "What has your second brother been busy with lately?"

When suddenly asked about Lu Zhang, Lu Ze was taken aback: "I really don't know... My brother knows perfectly well that I've never been close to my second brother. He... looks down on me to some extent, so how could he possibly tell me what he does all the time!"
In the past, when I went to the palace, I might run into him during court sessions. But recently, my father has been unwell and has been exempted from morning court sessions, so I have even less chance of seeing him.

However, I've heard that the carriages of Prince Yi's mansion have been frequently visiting the Duke of Yan's mansion lately.

"There's nothing surprising about that. They're his maternal relatives, so it's only natural that they visit each other often," Lu Qing nodded, not particularly concerned.

“Brother is right!” Lu Ze nodded, whether genuinely agreeing or just echoing, it was unclear. “Given his close relationship with his maternal grandfather, which is different from others, it’s not impolite of him to visit him at night from time to time.”

Even if one has a home but doesn't go home, there's nothing wrong with staying overnight at one's maternal grandparents' house.

Lu Qing smiled and waved to Lu Ze: "Alright, I know you don't like talking about him, so let's not mention it. It was my fault just now, brother. I shouldn't have brought up that sore spot."

We haven't seen each other for so long, I should be showing you more concern, not asking you about other people's business!

Speaking of which, are you making any preparations for your marriage to the granddaughter of the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy?
His Majesty has given you two or three years, probably firstly to allow you to prepare for your wedding more thoroughly, and secondly to allow you to study hard and further improve your academic performance.

I think you should take advantage of this time to find a suitable opportunity to meet that lady, get to know each other, and cultivate a relationship in advance.

I reckon that, given how much your mother dotes on you, she's already started making preparations for your wedding. Don't go and bother her for any other reason.

"Brother!" Lu Ze didn't seem to like talking about these things. He waved his hand somewhat reluctantly, and his expression was not very good. "What time is it? You still have the mind to worry about these trivial matters!"

"Look at what you're saying. How can a marriage arranged by His Majesty be a trivial matter? This is the most important thing in life." Lu Qing smiled nonchalantly. "Especially since the other party is from a proper scholarly family, a prestigious family, the direct granddaughter of the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, and I heard that she is also the most talented among her sisters, and is deeply loved by her grandfather."

His Majesty specially chose this marriage for you; what a thoughtful gesture that was!

Your second elder brother once longed to marry a woman of exceptional talent and learning, but his wish remained unfulfilled. You must cherish this opportunity and diligently pursue your studies. Otherwise, after marriage, if you cannot answer her questions when her grandfather tests your knowledge, even the Emperor might reprimand you.

Lu Ze lowered his eyelids, his eyes were somewhat gloomy, and his expression turned cold for a moment.

However, he adjusted quickly, his expression soon turning into a bitter one, and he waved his hands at Lu Qing: "My good brother, dear brother, I've figured it out!"

You're just bored being locked up in jail, so you're deliberately making fun of me!

Alright, alright, you're really having a tough time right now. If my teasing you about this makes you feel a little better, then I don't mind.

In short, don't worry. As a prince, being imprisoned here means the servants won't dare to make things difficult for you. Your father is probably just angry for a moment; it's just that you happened to be there when he had a stroke!

I'll go see my mother again later and ask her to find a suitable opportunity to speak with my father! I'll definitely tell you if there's any good news!

After saying that, he waved his hand, as if afraid that Lu Qing would talk to him about marriage again, and hurriedly left. The two attendants who came with him also quickly followed behind him, and the three of them left the shackles together.

Once they left, the prison returned to silence.

Zhu Yu had been sitting quietly to the side the whole time, without coming closer.

She is currently playing the role of a junior attendant to Lu Qing, so naturally she doesn't have the qualifications to get close to Prince Shu.

However, Lu Ze didn't seem to be trying to avoid anyone when he spoke. Zhu Yu heard every word of his conversation with Lu Qing. So now that Lu Ze had left, she rested her chin on her hand, looking thoughtfully at the now empty end of the corridor.

Lu Qing got up and stretched her slightly stiff limbs, then walked over to Zhu Yu and sat down next to her.

"What's wrong? What are you thinking about?" He waited a while before asking.

“I’m thinking, this Prince Shu’s trip was definitely worthwhile.” Zhu Yu glanced at Lu Qing and smiled somewhat sarcastically. “He always says that he’s not close to Lu Zhang and that he’s not familiar with him, but in reality, he always knows everything about Lu Zhang.”

When I visited your home before, I told you that Lu Zhang had volunteered to patrol the border between Jin Kingdom and Jie and Shuo.

Although he hadn't met Lu Zhang much during this trip, he was actually quite aware of Lu Zhang's frequent visits to the Duke of Yan's residence.

I only had a vague feeling before, but since it was our first meeting and we didn't have much opportunity to get to know each other, I couldn't be sure.

After meeting him this time, I must say, His Highness Prince Shu is truly a remarkable person.

Lu Qing smiled upon hearing this, and sighed softly: "To be born in this palace, to grow up smoothly, without dying young, without losing any limbs, and to survive to adulthood intact—that is already an extremely difficult thing."

Moreover, not only that, he also enjoys great favor and receives extraordinary favors that his other brothers have never received. This goes beyond simply calling him a remarkable person.

To be precise, both he and his mother were quite wonderful.

Zhu Yu nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly.

"Wasn't General Cao's trouble resolved already?" she asked Lu Qing in a low voice, somewhat puzzled. "Lu Zhang has been interacting with the Duke of Yan so frequently lately, it seems he's practically not hiding it from anyone..."

Could it be that the Duke of Yan is in some other trouble?